Sugar Creek Foods is doing more than satisfying the community’s sweet tooth.

On Friday, Russellville’s frozen dairy product manufacturer donated $14,000 to the Pope County Community Foundation (PCCF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that assists area residents in supporting local organizations.

“Sugar Creek Foods, Scott and Bud have always been very involved in the community,” Croom said. “They’ve already done a lot for us and our work here. I don’t think there are enough ways to describe our gratitude and appreciation of Sugar Creek Foods and everything that Scott and Bud have done for the community.”

Sugar Creek Foods, founded by Mac Van Horn, was a local frozen dairy product manufacturer through the 1980s and 1990s, but was sold to International Brands Inc. In 2007, however, Bud Gunter and Van Horn’s son, Scott, repurchased Sugar Creek Foods.

“This business, now a major part of the Russellville community, is a tribute to Scott and Bud,” Croom said. “It is the reincarnation of a business that was sold and overtaken, and now brought back to life by Scott and Bud.”

The $14,000 donation originated from a business audit performed by CenterPoint Energy and CLEAResult, an energy efficiency consulting company. One of CLEAResult’s energy engineers, Nicole Davis, recommended different changes to improve the Sugar Creek’s gasoline usage. “We determined that after the changes were made, Sugar Creek would improve its gas usage by 22,359 therms,” Davis said. “That’s the same as removing the emissions of about 22 cars each year. That stops a lot of gas emissions.”

Sugar Creek then enacted the changes with CenterPoint Energy, investing approximately $38,000 into the projects. As an incentive award for choosing to make the suggested adjustments to their company, CenterPoint Energy returned more than $14,000 to Sugar Creek, to be used however Sugar Creek desired.

Van Horn, president, and Gunter, vice president, wanted to use the money in a way that would progressively affect the Russellville and Pope County community. After many discussions, Gunter said he and Van Horn decided to donate the award money to PCCF.

“We are blessed with a great business,” Gunter said. “But none of this would be possible without our great community, and that’s why we decided to use the money to benefit the community. And what better place to give the money to than PCCF. The foundation touches the community in so many ways.”